An Introduction to War Crimes
Trials

The first international military
tribunal (IMT) prosecuted 21 members of the
Third Reich (a 22nd, Martin
Bormann was tried
in absentia). British, French, Russian and
American judges presided over the trial from
October 18, 1945, to October 1, 1946. This
trial is the one referred to as the “Nuremberg
Trial” after the location where it
was held.

American judges conducted 12 additional
trials for members of the SS, industrialists
and others accused of war crimes. A total
of 177 defendants were prosecuted in these
trials conducted from October 1946 until
October 1948.

The other victorious countries conducted
their own trials, as did the countries liberated
from the Nazis. The British, for example
prosecuted 989 people and the Poles 5,450.
The Dutch prosecuted and convicted 14,562
people. Hungary convicted 19,000 out of 40,000
suspected war criminals. Germany prosecuted
90,921 and 6,479 were given significant sentences.